Ten Fighter Boys

by Jimmy Corbin (Foreword), Squadron-Leader Hubert Allen D.F.C. (Editor), Wing Commander Athol Forbes D.F.C. (Editor)

• Used

  Illustrated
  2008

  $3.25

  The extraordinary stories of ten fighter pilots, told in their very own words during the Second World War. First published by Collins in 1942, this utterly compelling collection of first-hand accounts of ten fighter pilots' experiences at the helm of the Spitfires of 66 Squadron paints one of the most realistic depictions of the battle for the skies over wartime Europe. Offering incredible personal insights into the wartime experience - both in the air and on the ground - the stories are told with unaffected zest, by men who were living in the constant presence of death. Five of the original contributors were killed before the book was originally printed, including the books editors, Wing Commander Athol Forbes and Squadron Leader Hubert Allen. Jimmy Corbin, the last surviving contributor and author of the foreword, passed away in December 2012. Written right in the middle of the war, in the pilots' own words, Ten Fighter Pilots is a truly original and unique account of a terrifying time.

• Used

  Paperback
  2008

  $3.25

  During the Battle of Britain an RAF Spitfire squadron commander asked some of his pilots to write about their combat experiences. The book was published in 1942 as Ten Fighter Boys , penned by ten pilots on 66 Squadron, most of whom had seen action in the Battle of Britain and in fighter sweeps over France in 1941-2. By the time the book was published, three of the original authors were dead; by the end of 1942, only three of the ten were still alive. The book and its narrative style are very much of their time: the language is colourful, irreverent and dramatic, but at the same time filled with the pathos and fatalism that is the preserve of the fighter pilot.